


marco polo in the twenty-first century

by poalimal



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Drabble, Gen, M/M, POV Third Wheel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-26
Updated: 2018-07-26
Packaged: 2019-06-16 14:54:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15439554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poalimal/pseuds/poalimal
Summary: From Wikipedia: The sport Marco Polo /ˈmɑːrkoʊ ˈpoʊloʊ/ is an American form of tag played in a swimming pool. [...] The game can also be played on land, with slightly modified rules, or played with the addition of rules from Fish out of Water and others.Players: 2 or more  | Setup time: < 1 minute | Playing time: no limit | Random chance: Low | Skill(s) required: swimming, sound localization





	marco polo in the twenty-first century

**Author's Note:**

> From Wikipedia: The sport Marco Polo /ˈmɑːrkoʊ ˈpoʊloʊ/ is an American form of tag played in a swimming pool. [...] The game can also be played on land, with slightly modified rules, or played with the addition of rules from Fish out of Water and others.
> 
> Players: 2 or more | Setup time: < 1 minute | Playing time: no limit | Random chance: Low | Skill(s) required: swimming, sound localization

 

'Ergo!' Holster shouted. His voice sounded like it was coming from upstairs. He must've gone looking for Justin in the attic first.

'Polo!' Justin bellowed. Lardo, who'd put her headphones in as soon as she'd seen Carey follow-in on Justin's heels, sent him a glare that could crack ice. _Sorry!_ Justin mouthed.

'Ergo!' Holster yodelled, coming closer down the hall.

'Polo!' Justin whispered, getting to his feet. He'd bugged Lardo enough. He had just genuinely had no idea what to do with Holster's boyfriend when, instead of taking the generous out offered by 'come back [much] later', Carey had opted to hang around and wait. Nursey was in a post-exam coma, Bitty was Facetiming his Mystery Lover (door-locked), Whiskey and Tango were trying to lick their elbows, and Dex had just left for his Wednesday night class. Not many places to go in the Haus to avoid conversation with his best friend's boyfriend.

'I love how many inside jokes the two of you have,' Carey said.

'What?' Justin said. Holster appeared in Lardo's doorway, smile taking on a quizzical air when he saw Carey.

'Hey, love,' Carey greeted, tilting up his chin.

'What's up, sweets,' said Holster, kissing him on the cheek. With a head-nod to Justin and Lardo, 'best bro. Best other bro.'

Lardo was staring fixedly at her textbook, jaw clenched. 'Hey, let's go downstairs,' Justin said quickly, ushering them out into the hallway. He'd have to really make it up to Lardo later for letting him crash her room slash study session. 'I think there might be some cupcakes left from earlier.'

Holster's head whipped towards him. 'Dude, Bitty made cupcakes?!'

'Nah, dude,' Justin said, smugly, 'Dex did.' This almost definitely put him ahead in the Little Frog weekly rankings.

'Dude,' Holster said, wonderingly, 'still waters.'

Lardo might have one of the friendliest, most outgoing Frogs (Chowder), and Holster might have one of the most artistically talented (Nursey), but, in Dex, Justin had something neither of them did: Bitty's favourite. And Dex feeding the Haus like a badass Samaritan definitely fell under Civic Duty *and* Community Activism.

'I was just saying,' said Carey, abruptly. Justin and Holster looked up. Carey was still at the top of the stairs, smiling patiently, clearly waiting for-- _something_. Justin and Holster exchanged dubious glances. Justin remained at the bottom of the stairs; after a moment, Holster made his way back up.

'Uh, sorry,' said Holster, walking Carey down. It was a tight fit. Justin watched their hands lock together and got out of their way. 'What were you saying?'

'Oh, nothing too important, you know,' said Carey, waving his free hand. 'Just that I really love how many inside jokes you and Justin have. Like that thing you do, when you're in separate rooms? Ergo-polo? It's so cute.' He grinned, nudging Justin. 'So _mysterious_.'

'Ha ha,' said Justin uncomfortably, 'I guess.'

'Oh, it's not that mysterious,' said Holster, cheeks pinking up. 'There was this kid in our Public Speaking class that always said ergo every five seconds, and the joke was that anyone could find him, if they just followed all the ergo's. And then we just, I dunno. Just started messing around and saying it like was a game of Marco Polo. It's kind of stupid, I know, ha ha.'

'Yea, ha ha,' said Justin, stung. 'I'm gonna go check on those cupcakes.'

When he got to the kitchen, he saw that he had underestimated both Dex' baking skills and Whiskey and Tango's olfactory strength: there were no more cupcakes left. Not even a _crumb_. Not even a _lick_ of icing. O Cruel Fate!

Holster ducked around him and sighed. 'I could tell by your O Cruel Fate posture that there were no baked goods left.' Justin opened his mouth to respond--

and Carey said, 'O Cruel Fate?' in a re-ally breathy voice. Holster's entire neck went slowly, awfully, intensely red.

Well, that was Justin's cue. He slunk off to the attic, unnoticed, and pulled out the lab notes he'd put off studying for the last-- he looked at his watch --129 minutes.

At least, he consoled himself, he didn't have to not-talk to Carey anymore.

 

**Author's Note:**

> poalimal at your service here, pointing out continuity errors so you don't have to! If Dex/Nursey dibs happened after or close to graduation, Dex and Nursey canonically wouldn't be living in the Haus (as is implied) when Ransom and the rest of them are. And yet... I do not care!


End file.
